Bound by Blood
While ponies know much about the world around them, there are still areas full of mystery and darkness. One such area is the frozen lands of the far north. Throughout all of recorded history, few ponies have ever ventured there, and none could be convinced to talk about it. Even beasts and monsters stay away, for there is nothing to find.
Of course, that is just a facade, a simple disguise to keep unwelcome visitors away. But even if some creature is curious enough to venture beyond the tundra, they soon turn back. The arctic itself seems to work against them. Roaring blizzards cause whiteouts, and huge snowdrifts seem to change position daily. And every explorer feels the ice. It is everywhere, and one can't help but feel that it is watching them. When the intrepid adventurer decides to head for home, cold, hungry, and tired, the land seems to shift. It seems to funnel them out of north. The ice wants to make sure none can discover what is really hidden away. The ice has a secret.
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King Sombra woke, blinking as the world came back into focus. He rose on unsteady hooves and looked around. At first, he couldn't make any sense of his situation. He was in a place unlike anything he'd ever seen before, and for a minute he thought he was underwater. But he wasn't, he knew that much, because he hadn't drowned. Sunlight filtered in through what looked like a roof, about twenty feet above his head. It seemed to be made of some kind of glass rather than water. A long structure, like a tunnel, stretched away in front and behind him. The walls were a strange bluish color, and the floor under his hooves felt slick.
Then, he realized what had happened. Staring up into the distorted image of the sun, he smiled, and then began to laugh. It had worked! It had worked perfectly! He was under the ice, in the tunnels! With help from those princesses of course. Sombra had discovered these tunnels, and possibly let slip to the princesses about them, in case they were ever needed. Well, obviously they had been. Sombra sighed and lowered his head. His eyes grew misty and his ears lowered. The princesses probably felt the same way his subjects did. If only he could have told them about...
Sombra's nostrils flared and his head shot up. If Sombra was here, that meant he was, too. Sombra's mouth twisted into a silent snarl, because although he might care for him, Sombra was furious. It was only a matter of time before he spoke up, and then there would be no stopping him. Sombra decided to make the most of the peace before it was broken by exploring the tunnels. They twisted everywhere under the ice, a countless number of them, and it's not like there was anything else to do.
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The tunnels were quiet and lonely. As the ex-king walked, he thought about the kingdom that had cast him off. He wished there had been some way to explain, but it would have just left his subjects in danger. Suddenly, he stopped and gasped. His eyes began to mist over with tears.
Sombra had wandered into a huge ice cavern. It looked like something out of a dream, a winsome mirage that could only be found in the imagination. A soft mist hung in the air, unfrozen despite the temperature. As the sunbeams shone through the sheet of ice over his head they were reflected around the entirety of the chamber. When they hit the mist, they were refracted and became brilliant rainbows that danced around the black stallion. Huge pillars of ice, thicker than most trees, stretched from floor to ceiling, and multiple tunnels led in different directions.
As Sombra took all this in, he was unable to keep himself calm. The "evil" lord began to cry, his tears freezing into crystal droplets before they hit the ground. The splendor of this place reminded him of his own home, the Crystal Empire. The frigid beauty of the ice resembled the crystals of the city which he loved so much. He would still be there, if it wasn't for...
"And I actually thought you would ask if I was alright. Some ponies have no manners."
Sombra froze. His mouth became a thin, hard line. As he wiped his eye with a hoof, he thought how best to respond. Although he had known this was coming, he hadn't thought about what to say.
"I'm surprised you didn't say anything before, now, Funirel." He spat the name as if it was a curse, without even bothering to look around. There was no need, as he already knew exactly where Funirel was. Sombra began walking away from the tunnel he had just left.
"Well, I thought I would let the good king think about what he's done. We could have had so much power, you and I, if only you had seen things my way. I look exactly like you! They never would have known the difference. But you simply stood to the side, not even raising a paw to help me."
Sombra grimaced. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't think we can be counted as royalty anymore. I'm no king, and I suppose you aren't a prince anymore, either. And I'll never betray my subjects. Not for all the power in the world."
It was a few minutes before Funirel decided to respond. "No matter. I can latch on to the Crystal Heart with my magic and escape. Those princesses haven't changed anything."
"Actually, the Empire..." Sombra's voice caught in his throat. "The Empire is gone. It was hidden away by a powerful spell.." He thought it might be prudent not to mention who had cast that spell.
"Oh, of course it was." There was another long silence, again broken by Funirel. "Well, if we work together, we can still escape! Help me find a way out. You don't owe those ponies anything. They don't even like you anymore. They think you're a monster. Show them just how much of a monster you can be! Teach them to fear you. Take your revenge!"
"The only one I might want revenge against, is you, brother. You are the one who took my place and attacked my people. You are the reason the princesses had to seal us away. You are the reason I can never go home, and the crystal ponies hate my very name. Why couldn't you have been content with what we had?"
The impostor's lip curled. There was a fire in his eyes. "You sealed me away! You never let me do anything! And how can I be content with such foolish subjects? We deserve better than those naive dullards! You should have told them about me. We could have had all of Equestria under our hoof!"
"And how would they react if I did? They can't know our secret. No one can."
"Well, it doesn't matter. They aren't worthy of kindness. I only wanted to show them why we were in charge. I wanted to make sure they would always follow us, and give us the respect we deserve! I did it for you, Sombra!"
Sombra stopped. He simply stood still for a moment. "For me? You ruined my life. Everything I loved, my home, my subjects, my very identity- you took it all away from me. Do you expect me to thank you?"
"Sombra, it's as much your fault as mine. If it weren't for you, I would still have my own body. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have to share one mind. Don't you feel sorry for me? Do you even care about your own brother?"
The king seemed to lose some of the life from his body. The grand chamber that had lifted his spirits so high only moments before now seemed dark and cruel. Phantoms swirled in his mind's eye, wraithlike memories that corroded the little resolve he had left. "I never meant for... It was an accident! We were so young, and just beginning to learn magic..."
"And now I'm in your head. But don't you see what that means? Think of what we could accomplish! We were already born twins, and now... Two minds with as close a connection as we have could rule all of Eque-"
"No!" Funirel was cut off by his brother, who took their mouth back for himself. "We may speak with the same voice. We may share a body. But we are not connected. Not anymore. You attacked my kingdom. We are not brothers anymore, and nothing you say will make me betray those I love." The sunlight reflecting off the ice burned their eyes, as if trying to take revenge for what Funirel had done.
Suddenly, Sombra began charging down the nearest tunnel. His hooves bit at the icy ground as he ran. The breath that billowed from his nostrils formed small clouds of steam that hung in the air. The tunnels rang with the sound of hoofbeats as the stallion ran as fast as he could, and his tormentor didn't try to stop him.
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When the king finally slowed down, he had left the ghost of his empire far behind. He was walking down another long tunnel. Then, his hooves stopped, planting themselves firmly on the ground. He looked down and tried to move them. Nothing happened. They wouldn't respond, at least not to him. His brother had taken over his legs.
Sombra's mouth moved, but it was not his words that came out. "Stay right here, brother. Now look up."
Sombra did so, if only because he could do nothing else at the moment. Craning his neck and squinting upwards, he could make out a faint shape, distorted by the plate of ice overhead. It seemed to be two ponies wrapped in long dark cloaks to fight the cold. It was impossible to make out any specific details about them.
His brother had more input. "See those ponies? Ridiculous. What do they expect to find? They're wandering, lost, searching for a legend that might not even be real. If only they knew what was right below their feet. All ponies, not just these, are like that. They need a leader, because they won't do anything on their own."
The two watched as the ponies trudged on through the blizzard. "They seem to be doing fine," Sombra replied. "Maybe they do need a leader. But not me. They deserve better." Sombra began struggling to take control of their hooves.
Funirel raised a hoof and slapped their head, hard. "Wake up! How long are you going to keep up this act? We're two of a kind, you and me. The same blood runs through our veins. The only reason we're trapped here is because of those two princesses, but if we work together, not even they will stand a chance. It was only luck that helped them defeat me this time."
There was silence. The fallen king thought hard before he responded. He knew that what he said next would change their lives forever. But it had to be brought to light sooner or later.
"Luck had nothing to do with it. I did."
Their eyes grew wider and their ears lay flat on their head. When Funirel spoke, their voice was shaking. "Wha- What do you mean?"
Sombra stood up as tall as he could. He raised their head and a steely glint shone from their eyes. Standing in a pool of sunshine, he looked exactly like the king he could have been. "While you were busy with your machinations, I was casting spells to help the princesses through all of the traps you set. I told you, the Empire means more to me than anything. Nopony will ever hurt it if I can help it. Not even one who used to be my brother."
Funirel did nothing except give control of their hooves back to his brother. Sombra began walking through the tunnels again. The ponies above them had moved on, and there was nothing else to see.
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Both brothers had done their fair share of thinking as they continued through the arctic. It was easily a few hours before the ex-prince responded. He chose his words carefully before he took control of their mouth.
"That's it, then? Nothing else to add? No other act of sabotage I need to know about?" He allowed his brother to respond.
"Nothing comes to mind. Oh, except for one thing. I might have been the one who told the princesses about these tunnels after we discovered them."
"Well, then I suppose you won't help me. In fact, that means it's partially your fault that we are in here. We're not brothers, and we're not allies. That can only leave us as enemies."
There was another long silence. Then, Funirel continued speaking. "You know it doesn't matter, right? Even if you won't help me, I'll get out eventually. I'll take this body for myself if I have to, but I will be free, even if it takes a thousand years."
Sombra twisted their face into a dark smile. "Oh, I don't doubt it. You were always brilliant, as smart as me. But, like you said, it will take you a long time. You'll have to take care of me first, and then find a way out. I can only hope that by that time, new heroes will have appeared, who can defeat you again. Maybe even for good. But for now, it's getting late. Can we have one last sunrise together as friends?"
"Certainly." They turned their head towards the setting sun. As it sank below the horizon, the orange light struck the ice and lit the tunnels up with a brilliant glow. The brothers felt like they were standing in a great vortex of fire. The picturesque scene was enough to make any pony stop and, just for a moment, forget their troubles, simply to appreciate the scene. Sadly, it could not bring these two brothers back together. The rift between them, growing ever since they were young, was too wide for anything to bridge the gap.
Much too soon, the spectacle was over. Funirel took control and rested their body on the ground. "Now, we should get some sleep. Tomorrow is a new day, and we'll have new roles to play. You should rest. I won't show any mercy."
Sombra rested their head on their hooves. "Nor would I expect you to. I'm sorry it had to turn out this way, but I know better than to try to change your mind. I just want to ask one thing. What happened between us? How could we have turned out so different?"
Funirel considered for a moment. "Maybe we simply aren't as similar as we thought we were. I'll see you in the morning, Sombra, but when I do, it'll be as an enemy." He paused for a minute. "Goodnight. Sweet dreams."
"Goodnight. Sweet dreams to you too."
The brothers repeated the words they had said every night for such a long time. The words that they would never say again. The northern wasteland grew dark, and they slipped into sleep, both dreaming of a time when life was perfect, when they were still so alike.
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In the dark, a blizzard howled. Two ponies, wrapped in cloaks, struggled through the storm. They were looking for a legend they had heard tales of. Ancient ice tunnels, brimming with magic, said to be able to hold the most powerful pony captive. Nothing had caught their eye yet, but they were confident. Even if they didn't find anything, they would have an experience that few other ponies could claim to have been through. And they knew that while they were together, nothing could stop them. They were brothers, and they knew each other so well that they could overcome anything together.
It was fortunate that they had decided not to be disappointed if they didn't find anything, because they never did. They eventually turned back, just like all the rest. Because the ice didn't want them there. No creature could be allowed to find the prison and its captives. After all the two royals had been through, they at least deserved some peace during the little time together they had left. But soon, their battle would begin, and the ice would continue to keep spectators away. The ice has a secret.